Savor that coffee you’re drinking… Soon you may have to cut back or pay more

Savor that coffee you’re drinking… Soon you may have to cut back or pay more

Could climate change shake-up the world’s coffee-growing industry?

One climate panel says yes.

It’s strong enough to give you a jolt and keep you wired for the rest of the morning.

But at this coffee exhibition in London, little do these customers know there may be a storm brewing in their coffee cup.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on climate change, or the IPCC, pests, rising heat and extreme temperatures resulting from climate change may impact the supply of coffee — and the industry is worried.

“I am very concerned. I would say climate change is the most serious threat to the sustainability of the coffee supply chain right now.”

“Because if we don’t take action, if we don’t prepare and give the resources to our farmers, to adapt to the change in circumstances we will not have quality in the coffee and quantity needed.”

The IPCC says that temperature rise of 2 to 2.5 centigrades means some coffee growing countries could run out of cool mountainsides in which to grow their coffee by 2050.

It also predicts that by 2020, coffee production could decline by 34%.

With profits shrinking from $200 per acre to less than $20 per acre.

But whilst this may prove challenging and devastating for many coffee growing countries. It can also be an opportunity for others.

Vietnam for example has become a much much bigger player and is now the largest exporter of coffee, producer of coffee worldwide now, after Brazil.

India is now developing its own coffee industry as is China.

A dramatic change of landscape for an industry that for years has depended on Brazil along others for their economic coffee fix.